


Oh, Piano Man

by nugungapiryeohae (Himelda_Window)



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Dowoon is mentioned by name once, Fluff, I guess? it's pretty much the setting for the whole piece, M/M, Not Famous AU, panicked jae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 07:20:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16593392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himelda_Window/pseuds/nugungapiryeohae
Summary: Oh piano man, won't you sing a song for me?Jae's been watching the pianist for months.  He still doesn't know his name.





	Oh, Piano Man

**Author's Note:**

> is this my first day6 fic? i think it might be. enjoy the jaepil, I wrote this on the road to toronto. it was very fun.

Jae looked around the second he arrived at the restaurant where he spent his Friday nights. There were plenty round tables sitting in the room, but that’s not where his gaze rested. He stared at the small stage in the centre of the room. It was really nothing more than a raised circular platform, but on top of it sat the most beautiful piano he’d ever seen, and he knew any minute now the piano man would arrive.

The piano man was why Jae kept coming back to this restaurant. He told Younghyun it was because the food was exceptional, but the other man had been there before. The restaurant’s food was nothing to write home about. The atmosphere was okay most days, but was best at dinner time on Friday nights. The pianist would sit and play pieces for a few hours before leaving the building in awe of his skill. It was usually classical pieces mixed with requests, but sometimes he played original compositions. Those were Jae’s favourites. The pianist would close his eyes and just feel the music, his fingers dancing across the keys as if he’d played the piece a million times and was still just as emotional as he must have been when he wrote it. The whole room held its breath as he played them, and the applause was nearly deafening for such a small restaurant. The pianist would open his eyes and look around at his audience before turning red and bowing before taking his leave. The nights where he played his own pieces always ended early. That was the only downside that Jae could think of whenever he thought of the pianist. That, and the fact that he didn’t know his name.

When Jae walked into the restaurant that night, he was determined that he would leave that night with the pianist’s name.

He sat down as normal, his table in perfect view of the beautiful piano. He ordered his usual burger as well, and waited. He had been seated shortly before the pianist would normally come out, his usual waiter, and now friend, Sungjin smiling at him.

“He’ll be out in a few,” he had said. Jae nodded; he knew that already.

“Thank you Sungjin.”

And so Jae waited. Shortly before his burger arrived, the pianist walked out into the main room and settled himself on the piano bench. Jae smiled to himself; his view was perfect as usual. As the man began to play, Jae took notice of what he was playing. He played popular songs as well as a variety of classical pieces. Jae was just finishing his meal and thinking about leaving as the pianist finished playing a classical piece that he couldn’t name. As the last notes drifted in the air, the pianist closed his eyes and began to play what Jae had dubbed “The Rain Piece” with a soft smile.

This was one of Jae’s favourite and he couldn’t help but smile and stay to listen. The piece transitioned between a number of different types of rain, hence its nickname in Jae’s mind. There were low chords paired with strikes of noise that sounded like a thunderstorm; there were high runs that reminded him of a light drizzle. It was one of his favourites. As the piece came to an end, he watched the pianist come back to himself, blush, and leave as soon as possible. Jae tried to catch his attention as he walked out of the restaurant, but there was no such luck. The man was gone before Jae could even call out to him. So much for getting his name.

On Thursday, Jae texted Younghyun.

**_Brian you’re coming to dinner with me tomorrow_ **

_Don’t call me Brian._  
_Why? Isn’t tomorrow Friday?_

**_Yes, Brian. I need support if I’m going to get the name of my pianist._ **

_So you failed last week?_

**_It wasn’t a failure._ **  
**_Dress nicely, but not too nicely. I don’t want him to think it’s a date._ **

_Gross._  
_I’ll see you there at 6._

Jae smiled. Of course Younghyun cooperated. That was his job as a friend. So when Jae arrived on Friday a little before their agreed time, he didn’t think about anything other than how he was going to get the name of the pianist. He smiled, thinking about when he arrived. Sungjin had been there to say hello and bring Jae to his table.

“The usual spot, Jae?” he asked. Jae nodded.

“Can we set it up for two tonight, Sungjin? I have a friend joining me.” The waiter nodded, leading Jae to his table and ensuring it was prepared for the two men.

“A friend? Moving on from our musician, are you?” Sungjin refused to tell Jae the name of the pianist.

“More like moral support.” Sungjin laughed but left Jae be after that.

When Younghyun arrived, Jae smiled at him and thanked him for coming. He returned the smile and sat down, folding his hands together as he settled in.

“I have an idea.”

“I’m all ears, Bri. Anything to finally get the attention of the man I’ve been pining after for the last six months.” Jae mumbled the last part, a little ashamed that he’d been sitting on his feelings for so long. Younghyun just chuckled, well aware of how long Jae has been going to this restaurant and why.

“You’re going to request a song.” At this, Jae immediately shook his head. Throughout the entire time he had been eating dinner at the restaurant, he had never approached the man at the piano to have him play a song for him. He didn’t think his heart could handle it. The soft beauty of the other man was simply too much. “I’m going to request one too. I’ll give you a report when I get back, so you know what to expect when you go up there and request a song of your own. Okay?” Jae shook his head, but Younghyun smiled. “Great.”

About halfway through their meal, during a pause between songs, Younghyun got up and walked over to the pianist. They had a short conversation, but Jae couldn’t tell what it was about aside from the song request. The pianist looked mildly uncomfortable with Younghyun's request, but he put his hands together and clearly begged for the whole restaurant to see. When the pianist finally agreed to whatever Younghyun's demand was, he smiled at him before heading back to his table with Jae.

“What are you making him do and why does he look so uncomfortable with it?” Jae demanded as soon as Younghyun sat down.

“You’ll see. As for now it went, it wasn’t bad. He just asks what the request is and you tell him. I think he accepts them on paper too? So if you want, you can write it down and give it to him.” Jae simply stared at his friend, wondering what was going on. He eventually nodded.

“I’ll do that, then. I know what song I want to hear already too, but it’s an original so he’ll probably leave right after.” Jae sighed. He wished that just once, he could hear an original piece and not have the pianist dash away afterwards.

“Why don’t you ask him to meet you outside after? Then you can talk to him and hear your song.” Jae stared at Younghyun for a few long moments. Ask the pianist to meet him outside of the restaurant? Wasn’t that breaking some sort of agreement between the two of them? Wouldn’t it be creepy and make the pianist uncomfortable? That was the last thing Jae wanted.

“Jae. I guarantee you’re overthinking this, just ask him to meet you after. You can show him your talent if I want, I brought my guitar.” Jae glared at Younghyun. Of course he brought his guitar. He planned this out, didn’t he? Make Jae request a song and have to talk to the pianist, and then show him the musical skills he hasn’t practiced in at least a year? Yeah right. Jae wasn’t going to embarrass himself like that. He was never that good at the guitar, and he hadn’t played in ages. Why would he show the pianist with magic fingers his mediocre musical ability?

“Park Jaehyung. Stop thinking. Write the song you want to hear down and ask him to meet you outside after. It’s not that hard. You can go grab my guitar, play for him, and I’ll pay for dinner. How does that sound?” Jae thought for a minute. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all. It couldn’t be too hard to pick the guitar back up, right? Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea.

Jae was about to let Younghyun know he agreed when the pianist began playing. It was a pop song that Jae recognized. That wasn’t out of the ordinary. When Jae looked at Younghyun in confusion, he simply held up a hand. Okay, Jae got the message, he would wait to see what was so different this time. As the instrumental went on, Jae was less and less sure what he was waiting for. He opened his mouth to question Younghyun when his unspoken question was answered.

The pianist began to sing.

It was just a pop song, nothing Jae hadn’t heard before, but his jaw dropped. The man could sing. Quite well, too. He hasn’t been expecting it. As the song went on, his heart melted. He loved this man’s talent already, the fact that his voice was soft and sweet as he sang was just unfair.

“Is that what you convinced him to do, Bri? You got him to sing?”

“I got him to sing. Beautiful, isn’t it? I had no idea he could sing this well when I asked. Guess it’s just a bonus, yeah?” Younghyun smiled at Jae as if he knew exactly what the man’s voice was doing to him. Whether he did or not, Jae didn’t care at this point. He just cared about making sure he requested his song. “Jae?”

Younghyun caught his attention again. “Yeah?”

“Are you gonna go request the song now?” Jae shook his head. They were only halfway through the pianist’s usual time he didn’t want to deprive the others of his beautiful playing. When he explained this to Younghyun, he just laughed. “Okay, that’s very kind of you. But don’t wait too long.” Jae promised he wouldn’t.

He didn’t wait much longer before asking Sungjin for a paper and pen. Sungjin just smiled at him and handed him what he asked for.

“It’s nice to see you finally requesting a song,” he said with a smile. “Clearly your friend is a good influence.” Jae grumbled under his breath about how his friends were horrible to him as he wrote down the song he wanted to hear. It wasn’t one he heard often, as it was an original. He referred to it as “The Snowflake Piece” as it reminded him of winter and Christmas songs. It made him happy though, and reminded him of why he came every week to eat at the restaurant.

When we walked up to the piano between songs with the paper in his hand, he smiled as he did his best to walk normally. He placed the paper on top of the piano and waited as the pianist picked it up.

“You want to hear an original?” he asked, clearly surprised. Jae smiled and wanted to answer, but all he could do was nod. The pianist turned pink. “Thank you. I just hope we’re thinking of the same piece.” He gave a little laugh at reading the rest of the note. He nodded with a smile and Jae took that as enough of an answer. He turned around quickly and sat back down across from Younghyun. That was when the music started.

The pianist’s eyes were closed, and Jae used that as an excuse to stare at him as he played. They had been thinking of the same piece, which didn’t surprise Jae. It was soft and sweet like winter could be, with the low chords representing a blizzard. It mixed various Christmas carols together to make a mashed up but still beautiful melody. It danced all over the place and blew in the wind, like a snowflake. As soon as it ended, Jae thanked Younghyun and got up, leaving the restaurant. The last thing he saw before he exited the building was the pianist watching him.

He dashed across the parking lot to Younghyun's car. Thankfully, the man had left the door unlocked and Jae was able to grab the guitar and pick before dashing back to where he said he would be. He arrived at the spot behind the restaurant seconds before the pianist exited the building.

“So, you play the guitar?” he asked as he approached. It seemed like Jae still wouldn’t know his name quite yet.

“I do, yeah. I haven’t played in a while, though. If it’s okay, I’d like to sing something for you.”

“Oh, you sing too?” Jae nodded. “Alright then. Go ahead.”

Suddenly Jae was full of nerves. The pianist wanted him to just play? It was going to be a disaster.

“Hey, I’m not gonna judge you if you suck. You said it’s been a while. Just play, guitar boy.” So he had a nickname now. That was nice.

Before he could think it over any more, Jae fingered the strings for a minute before strumming a small tune.

“Oh piano man, won’t you sing a song for me? Cause I am cold, and I am tired, and I’m alone now don’t you see? Oh piano man, won’t you sing a song for me? Sing a song, sing a song, about love?”

The pianist smiled at Jae before speaking. “That was beautiful. However, I need to go. There’s a reason I dash out so quickly, you know.” Jae titled his head in confusion. Where else would he go? “I have other gigs, guitar boy,” he answered the unspoken question with a laugh. “Thank you for the song, though.” There was an unsure pause between the two of them. Jae wasn’t sure what the pianist was thinking and he wasn’t sure what to say or do. “Will I be seeing you next Friday?” Well, it seemed the pianist recognized him then.

Jae nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be back.”

The pianist nodded with a smile. “Good.” He paused for a moment, looking unsure. “Will you be alone?” Jae stood there for a moment, absorbing the words. Did he want Jae to be alone?

“Yeah, probably.”

The pianist smiled. “Good.”

The next Friday, Younghyun was sitting on Jae’s bed as Jae was pacing and stressing about what the pianist meant.

“He said it was good that I’d be alone, Bri! What does that even mean?”

He chuckled. “It probably means that he wants to make sure you’re not dating me, Jae.”

“Gross. I still don’t know how you got a boyfriend.”

“Hush, you know I’m a catch and so does Dowoon.”

“Yeah, until you open your mouth. Are you sure he’s not deaf?”

“We’re focusing on you right now, Jae. The pianist likes you. And considering the outfits you’ve worn in the past,” the pause was more for dramatic effect than anything, but it still sent Jae’s heart racing. “He won’t care what you wear tonight, so just go. It’s almost halfway through his gig tonight. If you don’t leave soon, you’ll miss him completely, Jae.”

“But Brian-”

“Park Jaehyung. Go. You’ll be fine.”

The second Jae walked into the restaurant, Sungjin smiled and directed him to his table. The couple who had been waiting looked slightly bothered.

“Sorry, but he asked me to seat you as soon as you arrived. He’s almost out of time tonight. You missed out, Jae.”

“Sorry, Sungjin. I was nervous.” Sungjin laughed softly.

“Well, all that matters is that you’re here now. Enjoy.”

Jae watched Sungjin as he walked away. What was he supposed to enjoy? He didn’t have much time to be confused before he heard the soft voice of the pianist.

“Finally. I have a small original piece to finish tonight. I hope you enjoy it.” He smiled, looking at Jae for a few seconds before closing his eyes and playing. Jae smiled, happy to hear an original piece again. The pianist was just getting into the piece when he began to sing. “Oh guitar boy, I will sing a song for you. Yes I will stay and I will play, cause it’s what I’m meant to do. Oh guitar boy, I will sing a song for you. Sing a song, sing a song, about love.”

Jae was in shock. There was no doubt in his mind. The pianist clearly held some feelings toward him. That was a direct answer to his guitar piece from the alley last week. The pianist was accepting Jae as he was as a potential boyfriend.

As soon as the pianist finished his song, he got up from the bench and left the piano to sit on the stage alone. Jae sighed, thinking that he would be left alone and end up missing the pianist once again. To his surprise, instead of leaving the restaurant, the pianist came and sat down across from Jae. It was then that he noticed the second place setting at his table. How did he miss that? He was a little focused on the pianist. Who was now sitting in front of him. Was Jae staring? Probably.

“You’re staring, guitar boy.” Okay, so he was staring.

“Sorry, I’m just a little confused. Don’t you have another gig to go to?”

The pianist pouted. “Do you want me to?”

“No! I mean,” Jae coughed, trying to sound a little less eager. “No. I like your company and your music. I’m just not sure what you’re here for.”

“Believe it or not, guitar boy, I like you.” Jae felt his jaw drop and blushed when the pianist giggled. How was that cute? Giggling wasn’t supposed to be cute on boys, especially not boys like him. The pianist stuck his hand out over the table, bringing Jae back to the present. “Kim Wonpil. And you are?”

Wonpil. His name is Wonpil. Jae finally had his name. “I’m Park Jaehyung. It’s nice to finally have your name after watching you play for six months.” Jae put a hand over his mouth. He had said too much. Wonpil was going to think he was weird now. Oh no.

“It’s nice to know your name after performing for you for six months, too. Jaehyung, what do you say we eat here and then go get ice cream somewhere else? I think we should satisfy Sungjin for a bit, but then I want to talk to you without him eavesdropping on everything we say.”

A protest was heard from Sungjin, who was obviously listening, before Jae nodded. “Sure, Wonpil. That sounds perfect.”

“Alright.” Wonpil smiled. “It’s a date.

**Author's Note:**

> and thus, the jaepil!! please excuse how horribly cheesy the songs are ^^; i thought of them and then couldn't think of anything else until i wrote this.


End file.
